Party Planner: Tacolicious Taco Party

Though San Francisco’s Tacolicious serves some of the best tacos in town, their Mexico City–meets–California cuisine goes far beyond those street treats. Our menu, using their versatile salsas and braising sauces created exclusively for Williams-Sonoma, is enough to feed a crowd, so pour some Palomas and invite your friends for a backyard fiesta.

Menu

Kick off the party with these addictive, over-the-top nachos, featuring chile con queso over a stack of crispy tortilla chips, dressed up with all the fixings. Toast with a refreshing Paloma, a tequila-based grapefruit cocktail — the Tacolicious version is rimmed with pink peppercorn salt for a pretty kick.

Offer a stack of warm corn tortillas and prepare a couple of different taco fillings to showcase diverse flavors. Braised short ribs are easy to make and great for a crowd; ours are made with this Tacolicious Guajillo Braising Sauce, a rich, savory combo of guajillo, morita and ancho chiles, highlighted by Texan bock beer, caramelized onions and spices. In addition, serve this classic steak adobado, marinated in a mixture of chiles, vinegar and seasonings, along with grilled green onions.

Up to 1 month ahead: Make the pickled vegetables and store in the refrigerator.

1 to 2 days ahead: Make the chile con queso, cool, cover and refrigerate. Braise the short ribs and refrigerate. Make the rub for the corn, spread on a baking sheet, and let sit overnight at room temperature.

Day of: Make the marinade for the bistec adobado and marinate the meat for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Just before serving: Reheat the chile con queso and finish the nachos. Reheat the short ribs. Grill the steak and onions. Make the Palomas.

Set up a DIY cocktail station with a cocktail shaker, rimming salt, liquors, juices and sliced citrus wedges for garnishing drinks — that way everyone can have fun playing bartender. Serve margaritas too, if you like, and chill bottles of beer in a party tub.

Fill Weck jars with your pickled vegetables and bowls of different kinds of salsas. (In Mexico, salsas are used as a condiment, to top dishes, and not for dipping.)

To keep it casual, serve short ribs right from the pot or Dutch oven you braised them in. Arrange everything — the pot, a stack of tortillas and toppings — on a big wooden board for easy serving.

Decorate the table with potted herbs or succulents for a natural look — terracotta pots fit the style of the party.

A taco party doesn’t call for a grand, fancy dessert, but if you’re still craving something sweet, dust cubes of melon and mango with a little chili powder. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and smoky, and it won’t weigh you down.